A court in Bali sentenced a 26-year-old Swiss tourist to one year in prison Thursday for insulting a sacred Balinese Hindu observance. The Denpasar District Court found Luzian Andrin Zgraggen guilty of violating Indonesia's new criminal code by posting social media content about the Day of Silence, according to ABC News.
The Day of Silence, known locally as Nyepi, typically falls in March. During the observance, residents and visitors are required to stay indoors. The island's beaches and streets empty out, the airport shuts down, and internet access is switched off. The rules apply to everyone on the island regardless of religion or nationality.
Zgraggen posted videos on Instagram showing himself walking to a beach during the restrictions. In one clip, he called the tradition "crazy" and used an expletive. The posts spread widely on social media and drew strong condemnation from Balinese residents. Authorities tracked him down after receiving public complaints and arrested him at a villa in Legian, near Kuta Beach.
The court determined that Zgraggen posted the content even after staff at the villa where he was staying had informed him of the restrictions.
Presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima stated the consequences plainly. "What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage," the judge said. "The defendant must be held accountable for his actions."
During the trial, which began in June, Zgraggen said he had not fully understood the extent of the restrictions when he made the posts. He told the court he was hungry and frustrated because he could not obtain food during the shutdown. "I deeply regret what I did, I apologize to the Balinese people," he said in his defense plea.
Zgraggen also said he had never intended to insult the Hindu holiday or the Balinese people.
While authorities in Bali have previously detained foreign and domestic tourists for going outside during Nyepi, those cases have generally been resolved without prosecution. Zgraggen's case marks a more significant legal consequence than prior incidents involving the observance.
